Reinforced-concrete bridge construction.



W. M. THOMAS.

REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 13, 1911. RENEWED APR. 22, 1914.

1 1 20, 1 04;, Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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W. M. THOMAS. REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1911. RENEWED APR. 22, 1914.

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W. M. THOMAS. REINFORCED CONCRETE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13, 1911. RENEWED APR.22,1914.

1 1 20, 1 04;, Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

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W WWW Wm M THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOTO'LITHQ, WASHINGTON. D cv WILLIAM M. THOMAS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

REINFORCED-CONCRETE BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

Application filed November 13, 1911, Serial No. 660,151. Renewed April 22, 1914. Serial No. 833,803.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, WILLIAM M. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Reinforced- Concrete Bridge Construction, of which the following is a specification.

The main object of the invention is to eliminate as far as possible, the use of forms in the construction of arch concrete bridges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a construction wherein the different members such as the arch-ribs, the spandrel sections, diaphragm walls and floor are made as nearly as possible on a unit system in the construction of the entire structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved hinge support and connection for the main arch-ribs.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for tying the spandrel sections to one another and to adjacent parts.

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention, and referring thereto:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bridge, embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line av -m in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section showing the manner of construction of one of the spandrel sections. Fig. 1 is a perspective of one of the domes or floor panels for supporting the floor partly broken out. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the longitudinal spandrel arches, parts being shown in section. Fig. 6 is a side elevation partly in section of a portion of the arch-rib structure in the process of construction. Fig. 7 is a per spective of one of the pier hinges. Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a pier hinge showing the pivots for the arch-ribs seated therein. Fig. 9 is a vertical section showing the crown-hinge for the arch-ribs. Fig. 10 is a perspective of one of the spandrel sections in process of construction on the arclrribs. Fig. 11 is a perspective of a portion of one of the arch-ribs showing the tie means thereon. Fig. 12 is a similar view, showing the tie means removed. Fig. 13 is a perspective of one of the sockets for removably holdlng the tie means. F ig.14 is a plan of the tie means. Fig. 15 is a transverse section showing a form of spandrel section provided with a cantaliver beam for supporting the floor. Fig. 16 is a vertical section of another form of crown hinge. Fig. 17 is a perspective showing another form of construction of the spandrcl sections.

The bridge comprises arch-ribs each of which is formed of two arch beams 1, said beams being mounted on piers 2, or on abutments as the case may be, spandrel posts 3 supported on said arch ribs, spandrel arches 1 supported on said spandrcl posts, and a floor 5 supported on said spandrcl arches. Said beams, posts, arches and floor are of reinforced concrete.

At each pier 2 there is provided a pier hinge adapted to receive and support the pivots 9 of the arch beams at each side of the pier. As shown in Fig. 7, this pier hinge consists of a casting or frame of metal, having a concave seat or face 8 at each side, curved to fit the rounded pivot 9 at the lower end of the arch beam 1 at that side. Said seat is formed at each end with raised flanges 11, said flanges 11 embracing the pivots 9 and preventing displacement thereof sidewise. The two seats 8 curve outwardly from one another in a downward direction and are connected at their lower ends to a base plate or portion 12, provided with holes 13 for receiving bolts or other means whereby the hinge frame is connected to the pier. A lead plate 14 is provided on each curved seat 8, to give a self-adjusting support for the hinge pivots 9. Said hinge pivots are formed as metal plates having rounded portions forming the pivots.

The crown hinge for the arch beams con sists of three members 15, 16 and 20 on the respective beams, said members being formed as convex plates, curved in the shape of cylindrical segments, one of said plates having a semi-cylindrica1recess 17, and the other plate having a projection or rounded rib 18, fitting in the recess 17. A lead separator 20 extends and tits between the two plates 15 and 16, and gives an extended bearing between said plates, which is capable of yielding or deforming under the strains somewhat above or below the pivotal axis will be taken up by this lead spacing means. The hinge members 15 and 16 are provided with ribs or webs 19 connecting said members with plates or flanges 19 extending transversely in the beam, the parts 19 and 19 being embedded in the concrete beamand the reinforcing rods 1 of said beam being connected to plates 15 and 16 by means of nuts 36. As shown in Fig. 16, rails 38 may be attached to plates 19 by U-bolts 38 to anchor the same more securely in the beam and increase the area of the steel. The recess 17 and projection 18 are so formed as to allow the projection to move farther into the recess on compression of the lead plate,see Fig. 9.

The arch beams are provided with means for tying the cross members 22 thereto,'consisting of bolts or bars 23, projecting from the inner side of each arch beam. Said bolts or bars are preferably removably secured to the arch beams by means of interiorly screw threaded sleeves 24 embedded and molded into the arch beams and adapted to receive the bolts which are screwed thereinto. Said sleeves are preferably provided with flanges 25 to increase the grip on the concrete, so as to resist the pull of the tie bolts 23.

Plates 26 are provided on the tie bolts 23, said plates being perforated for passage of the tie bolts and for passage of bolts 28 which are cast into the cross members 22. Nuts 29 screwing onthe respective tie bolts 28 and. 23 engage with the opposite sides of the plates 26 to tighten the connection between the cross-members 22 and the arch beam 1, see Fig. 14.

The arch beams 1 are further provided With means for supporting and tying the spandrel posts or uprights thereto, said means consisting of tie bolts 27 screwing into sleeves 24 in the top or extrados of the arch, said bolts extending through a plate 30 which is perforated to receive the tie bolts 31 on the posts or uprights 3 of the spandrel. Nuts 31 on bolts 27 and 31 engage with opposite sides of plate 30. The

top of the arch beam is provided with horizontal ledges 33 forming seats for the respective spandrel posts. Each crossmember 22 consists of a part adapted to extend between the arch beams and having flanges or shoulders 34 adapted to rest on the said horizontal ledges 33 and provided with upwardly extending portions 35 connecting the cross-member with the spandrel posts.

' Below the shoulders 34 the cross-member ex- WVith such construction filled up with concrete or cement, mold boards or forms being placed alongside of and below thesaid space to form a mold for receiving and forming the concrete. The

concrete thus filled into the space 37 binds the cross-member to the arch beams and takes the compressive strains, the tie means 23 and 28 taking the tensile strain. 7

The spandrel posts 3 are recessed as show at 40 on their outer faces, the bolts 27 extending'upwardly from the arch beams into the said recesses and the bolts 31 on the spandrel posts extending downwardly into said recesses, said tie bolts; 27 and 31 extending through plates 30 and being secured thereto by nuts 42 so as to tie the spandrel posts firmly down onto the arch beams.

The arch beams 1 are molded in a position other than that of their final occupancy, being, for'example, molded flat on the ground and being raised to proper position in the bridge-by suitable lifting means engaging witheye' bolts 44 on the beams.

Similarly, the spandrel sections including the cross-members 22 andv posts 3 are molded separately and are lifted into position on the arch beams and secured thereto by the tie means and the cement fillings in the spaces 37 and 40 as above described. Said spandrelsections are provided at their upper ends with arch portions for forming. the spandrel arches when the spandrel sections are put in place and these arch portions are l molded onto the spandrel posts after the latter are put in place on the bridge. For

this purpose plates or sheets 47 of expanded I metal or'other suitable material are preferably molded within the outer walls of said arches forming the inner face of said walls, the inner space 48 between the expanded metal walls being left open. The outer side of the molding space 48 may be closed by mold boards 49 as shown in Fig. 3, during the process of pouring, or similar arch shaped molding forms may be placed opposite one another, so as to form the spandrel arches for both the longitudinal and transverse arches at once, each of these arch portions being formed with an inner space 48 between the expanded metal inner walls 47, which is left open during the formation of the outer walls of concrete to receive the final pouring of cement for bind ing the parts together, as hereinafter set forth.

An important feature of the present invention consists in the construction of the flooring of the bridge, in which the main elements of the floor consist of domes or floor panels of reinforced concrete molded on the ground 'or elsewhere and lifted into position on the bridge and forming a portion of the mold walls for the beams of the flooring, during the process of construction of the bridge and being eventually left in the bridge, forming the main body of the flooring itself. The spandrel arch portions aforesaid, both transverse and longitudinal, are formed with channels 50 at their upper portions into which the final pouring of cement runs to form beams, and domes 51 rest on the walls 52 of the longitudinal and transverse portions at the inner side of said channels. The bridge floor may be formed with a central longitudinal beam and in that case the domes 51 are arranged at each side of said beam, the inner Walls of the domes at the respective sides being spaced apart sufliciently to form the space for molding the beam between them. During the molding operation, the said space is closed at the bottom by wooden form boards which are tied by bolts 54]: to wooden form boards 55 resting on the top of the domes. Similar domes 57 may be provided at each side of the main floor, extending over the curb arches 58 which form the curb of the side wall, said curb domes being spaced from the main domes to form the space for the longitudinal side beams, said space coming directly above the channels 50 in the tops of the longitudinal spandrel arch sections.

The domes 51 are provided with reinforcing rods or bars extending into the spaces between the domes, said rods preferably be ing formed as bolts 59 extending across said space and being secured to the dome on each side by nuts 60, so as to tie the domes securely together. Tie means are also provided for the spandrel arch sections consisting of rods 62 having turn-buckles 63 extending in the hollow spaces within the arch sections so as to tie each arch section to the opposite arch section and thereby take the tensile strains on said sections. Longitudinal and oblique reinforcing tie rods 64: and 65 are also provided in the space for forming the beams to give a truss effect.

The spandrel sections being put in place on the arch beams and the domes 51 being assembled in position on the spandrel arch sections, and secured in position by the tie means aforesaid, cement or concrete is poured into the spaces between said domes, forming the longitudinal beams 67 and 68 and transverse beams 69, the reinforcing and tie rods 59, 64 and 65 being embedded in said concrete beams. Furthermore, the concrete poured in this manner extends down into the hollow spaces 48 within the spandrel arches, forming keys which bind or rigidly connect the floor to the spandrel arches.

As shown in Fig. 1f: the transverse spandrel member may be formed with a cantaliver beam 70 at the top, said beam being molded onto and resting on the tops of the spandrel arches, and the construction being otherwise as above described. This beam may be tied to the interior transverse spandrel arches 50 by tie rods 71, the outer ends of these cantaliver beams extending over the side wall and curb portions of the floor to support the latter.

The spandrel sections may be divided as shown in Fig. 17, the spandrel posts being provided with tie rods 73 extending obliquely downward and the horizontal portions 22 of the spandrel sections being provided with tie rods 74; extending obliquely upward, these tie rods 72 and 7-l extending in opposite directions through a plate 75 and fastened by bolts 7 6 so as to bind the two parts together. A bond or brace portion 77 of concrete is then molded over these tie rods, giving a monolithic connection be tween the several parts of the spandrel sections.

What I claim is:

1. A concrete bridge comprising piers, hinges mounted on said piers, each of the hinges being formed with a concave seat at each side. having raised flanges at each end, and arch ribs, each of which is formed of two arch beams having pivot plates seating in the concave seats and embraced by the raised flanges and provided with crown hinges connecting the arch beams.

2. A concrete bridge comprising piers, hinges mounted on said piers, and arch ribs each of which is formed of two arch beams seating in the hinges and provided with crown hinges each of which is formed with convex plates having rib and recess connec tion side plates, longitudinal webs and transverse plates.

3. A concrete bridge comprising piers, hinges mounted on said piers, and arch ribs each of which is formed of two arch beams seating in the hinges and provided with crown hinges each of which is formed with convex plates having rib and recess connection side plates, longitudinal webs and transverse plates provided with rails secured by U-bolts.

4. A spandrel section comprising spandrel arches, spandrel posts, and shouldered cross-beams, having upwardly extending portions connecting the spandrel posts with the crossbean1, and downwardly extending cut-away portions.

A. concrete bridge comprising piers, arch ribs mounted on the said piers, each arch rib being formed of two arch-beams, spandrel sections having spandrel posts supported on said arch-beams, tie bolts" emset my hand atLos Angeles, California, this bedded in said arch-beams, and in said 8th day of November, 1911.

spandrel posts, shouldered cross-members between the arch-beams and tie-bolts eIn- WILLIAM THOMAS" 5 bedded in said arch-beams and said cross- In presence of members. ARTHUR P. KNIGHT,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto GLADYS RUSSELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing'the Commissioner of I'acents, Washington, D. G. 

